> About 14 percent of the university’s undergraduate class is part of a program called the Carolina Covenant, which provides debt-free, full financial aid packages to students who fall below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. That package includes nontuition room, board and living expenses that total about $13,402 in the university’s estimated cost of attendance next school year.

Are you still required to combine both parents income (even if they're divorced and you're estranged from one or both of them) before you qualify if you're under 25 (23?)?

When I was 19 I didn't qualify for any financial aid because my fathers income HAD to be included in my application even though he didn't contribute anything to me and my mother was on disability, they were divorced and I hadn't seem him in years. I believe he was in the 40-50s range and my mother was under $10k/yr.

I was making around $10/hr working full time and attempting to put myself through about $40k of debt. No pell grants or anything. I couldn't afford a real school and dorms or any of that at all. I eventually just dropped out because working 8 hours a day and going to class and affording rent, etc wasn't exactly going my way.

I feel like I rarely hear about this and it always makes me wonder if there was something more we could've done. I remember this distinctly though and my mother fighting back and forth with admissions. It just makes no sense to me.